Having sweated it out to Palace of the Dead and The Walking Who, the energetic and intoxicated crowd were ready to party by the time the main act started – and luckily The Delta Riggs brought the noise.
The boys opened with Stars, the first track from their new album Hex.Lover.Killer, and followed with America, their latest single and also the name of their current tour. Needless to say, this track is one of their best. Throw together the best parts of The Hives, Jack White, Jet and Oasis, along with moments of old-school blues, and you’ve got a similar sound to the The Delta Riggs.
These guys are a solid live act, with lead singer Elliott Hammond shifting swiftly between keys, vocals and generally working the crowd. Hammond is extremely confident on stage, and why wouldn’t he be? He’s backed by some impressive talent, with each of the band members sharing vocals and performing impressive solos where possible.
The set list mostly comprised of songs from the new album, with highlights including Anybody Home, instrumental Save It ‘Til Morning and I Was Profound Tomorrow, which started with a laid back rocky intro and ended with an epic harmonica solo.
Hammond exclaimed “Now that you’ve heard some of the new stuff, we’ll reward you with an old song” before launching into Rah Rah Radio, swigging a bottle of Coopers and spraying it over the crowd. Get Back was also a highlight, with a funky little insert that had everyone yelling, “Holy guacamole… we got the chips!”
The band returned for encore, re-joined again by the brass brand from Saskwatch. The brass really lifted the sound, especially with the closing ‘80s-inspired instrumental, with Hammond incorporating harmonica, tambourine and even a cowbell.
BY CHRIS BRIGHT
LOVED: The inclusion of Saskwatch’s brass band – those guys are awesome!
HATED: The drunk tool who jumped on stage
DRANK: Water
